Pilots fail to cash in on air traffic revival -global survey

A global rebound in air travel has brought pilots back to work after a pandemic-induced slump, but many men and women in the cockpit have concerns over salary, a survey on Thursday said.

More than half of pilots have not had a salary increase for five years, according to the global survey by aviation industry specialist Goose recruitment and FlightGlobal. They polled 1,184 pilots during the fourth quarter of 2022.

Asia-Pacific is the worst-affected region when it comes to pay, with nearly half reporting lower earnings. By contrast, 73% of respondents in North America reported higher salaries, driven by fierce demand for pilots as traffic rebounds.

Almost two-thirds of pilots said they want to change jobs for better pay and conditions in the next 12 months. However, 89% of respondents believe there will be a shortage of pilots over the next five years, up from 66% in 2021.

"Pilots will want to see their pay return to what it once was," said Mark Charman, chief executive of Goose Recruitment.

"I predict that 2023 will be a year with more remuneration crisis talks than ever before."

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